Rockets assistant Jeff Bzdelik responsible for defensive improvement

Rockets assistant Jeff Bzdelik responsible for defensive improvement

Since the start of Mike D’Antoni’s tenure as head coach, the Rockets have steadily improved on the defensive end. The season before he took over, they had the 21st-ranked defense in the league. In his first season at the helm, in 2016-17, they jumped to No. 18. But that was nothing compared to this year, which they finished with the No. 6 defense.

This improvement is due in large part to the hiring of Jeff Bzdelik, a veteran coach and scout who has held jobs with various NBA teams since 1988 and has a reputation as a relentless worker and a defensive whiz. In a must-read profile by VICE Sports‘ Michael Pina, many players and coaches who have known Bzdelik throughout his career open up about his impact on that end of the floor. Just listen to Pat Riley:

“I can’t think of a man in the NBA that has more experience, more knowledge, more wisdom about how to defend in the contemporary game today, than Jeff,” Pat Riley tells me.

The entire story is very much worth reading if you want to understand how the Rockets have become an elite team on the end of the floor that receives less attention than their high-scoring offense.

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